Workplace Workshop
Putnam Bank hosted a Small Business Forum Sept. 23 focusing on state resources available to employers to help bring the unemployed back into their workforce. Linda Riquier (pictured), Business Service Rep from the American Job Center - Eastern CT, explained the subsidized training and employment program (Step Up) currently available through the Connecticut Department of Labor. Carla Demers from the Northeast CT Economic Alliance reviewed the application process for small business financing. Delpha Very, the Putnam Economic Development director, presented an overview of the new Tech Park concept that the town is pursuing with regional participation. The 20 business people in attendance also heard from Bill Covey, owner of Connecticut Casket Company. In his testimonial, he described the success he experienced using the Step Up program and growing his start-up business with loans and grants from the Connecticut Department of Economic Development. Permanent job creation is the key to accessing many of these program, and as Linda Riquier quipped, “You don’t want to leave anything on the table. Explore the possibilities.”
Drugs collected
PUTNAM --- In the area's latest Prescription Drug Take Back Day more than 190 pounds of medication filling seven boxes from 105 “donors” were collected, according to PRIDE Project Coordinator Romeo Blackmar. He said this was "about the average of what we have collected since the first Take Back Day in September of 2010. This was our 9th Take Back Day Event in conjunction with the Putnam Police Department and the DEA. Since the first Take Back day we have collected 1,870 pounds of medications, combined with the Putnam P.D. Drug Take Back Lock Box another 500 pounds was collected over the past 16 months, giving us a total of over 2,300 pounds of unused or expired medication."
PRIDE participants Sept. 27 were, Miranda Nagle and John Fournier from Community Health Resources, one of our Prevention Partners, Doug Cutler, Town Administrator and Putnam PRIDE Director and Officer Kyle Mahue of the Putnam Police Department.
Blackmar added, "We are a Drug Free Community Coalition grantee starting our 7th year of the Drug Free Communities Grant on Sept. 30."
Big Winner!
Thomas and Sandra Rukstela accept $500 in gift cards and certificates to local restaurants from Lori Guimot, branch supervisor of the Brooklyn office of The Citizens National Bank. The Rukstelas’ names were drawn as the grand prize winners of a raffle held during the bank’s one-day special event in May promoting its checking products for personal and business customers. Thomas and Sandra husband live in Brooklyn with their daughter and have been long time members of the Mortlake Fire Department. Courtesy photo.
Art program
PUTNAM — Oct. 10 the Putnam Arts Council in partnership with the Aspinock Historical Society. Fabiola Cutler, archivist, genealogist, as well as an historian for the Aspinock Historical Society, will present a program on artist J.J. Sawyer.
This program is free and will be held at The Gallery on Main Street (Open Spaces). There will be time to mingle beginning at 6:30 p.m. with the presentation starting at 7. Wine and cheese reception provided by the Putnam Arts Council.
James Jones Sawyer (1813-1888) is a 19th Century artist of portraits & landscapes. He was born in 1813 in Pomfret (now part of Putnam).
J. J. Sawyer left Pomfret to begin a career as a portrait artist in New York City. He found a patron in Henry C. Bowen, exactly his age and also from Connecticut. Although J.J. Sawyer exhibited in New York, he flourished upon his return to Connecticut with the support of his patron, Bowen. He had a varied career painting portraits and scenes from nature. Some of his paintings may be found in the Ashford Town Hall, the Woodstock Historical Society, Roseland Cottage (Pink House), Woodstock and the Smithsonian Museum.
J.J. Sawyer died in 1888 in Putnam and is buried in the Grove Street Cemetery.